A Running Shadow
by Adetel
Summary: Weird events have been unfolding in Jump City. A new chemical testing laboratory has popped out of nowhere, a strange wolf has been seen running through the streets, and Slade is back with a new more dangerous partner. Happens before Terra...T for violence,OC centered
1. Wolf in the street

I ran through the street, the hot asphalt burning my paws. _If I can't get the cuffs of I can't change back without crushing my wrists._ I looked behind me. _Shoot its catching up!_ Next thing i know a car comes rushing toward me. I stood my ground as it hit my forehead. With my powers I weakened the metal and split the car in half. the two halves whirled to separate sides of the street. I bent the scrap metal around my body to serve as armor. _I'm going to need this_. I started to run again. _The car won't distract it for long._ I came up on a fork in the road with a pizza parlor in between. I listened to a sound coming for a nearby radio as I hid in the shadows of the dusk. "Warning mutant wolf has escaped from the laboratory. take caution it is said to be extremely dangerous." _Shoot_. I hoped it would have taken them longer to figure out I escaped. the metal robot thing that was chasing me had caught up. Flying faster now than before. " Shoot!' I growled. " I will have to fight it." I ran into the street. _I better take it out with fire!_ I launched myself at the robot with flame licking my paws.I hit the robot and bounced back off. It was down. It was a weird contraption, hmm kinda looks like a metal cicada, I thought. I looked behind me. I saw two more coming at me from different streets. _Just grea- Oww!_ I winced, _My sides hurting! Why is my side hurting!_ I freaked out. The adrenaline left my body. I looked back where I hurt. No damages in my armor. _Ack its just a cramp. Now forget about it!_ I mentally screamed at myself. I saw the robots rushing toward me. _Snap out of it_! The overwhelming sense of fear swept over my body. I whimpered and gathered my courage. _Ok,im back,lets do this!_ I tensed ready for the fight. _They won't take me again!_ This thought fuled my rage. I tackled one robot ripping into its metal shell with my teeth. Sparks flew everywhere. The other one came hurtling toward me. It stopped short and shot a wire line at me that attached itself to my armor. Suddenly a charge of electricity made its way through the line and electrocuted me. "They never learn." I laughed smugly. It was still shooting a charge through the line. I doubled back the electrical current in my body and shot it back through the wire. The robot sparked the line dropped and I backed away. It sparked more, then exploded in a fiery blast.


	2. Collapse

**Hey Author here. Just wanted to tell you guys I got the idea of here powers from the last airbender series. Not sure if thats enough to count as a crossover, if it is please post in the comments so I can change that. Will be updated every saturday enjoy!**

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My fear returned as I saw a car ride up on the street. _Shoot_. I backed up and ran away not knowing where I would go. I winced again , _that's not r-right my sides still hurting._ I shuddered. I looked behind me, five figures were right on my tail. Literally. I sharply turned right into an old warehouse building. It did not look stable at all, but was good cover. Now is not the time to be scared._ Lets see if theres any oil or grease I can use to slip off these cuffs._ I sniffed around finally finding some old cooking oil. I used my front right paw to smother it on my other three paws and slipping off the cuffs. _I'm not going to be able to get off the last one this way. _I moned. I thought escaping would be much easier. _Well maybe if I hadn't set off the alarm... _I heard footsteps approaching. I ran and hid behind some old crates. I silently whimpered. I gotta find a way out! Or he will catch me again."Whatever we're dealing with its intelligent." I heard a voice say. "It's here, hiding somewhere." A dull voice said. A black aura creeped around the crate I was behind. The crate lifted and I jumped on top. _They won't take me again!_ I thought determined. "Titans go!" A colorful boy with a mask said. Green things flew past my face and I quickly dodged them. I jumped off the crate as the team advanced. A green boy with pointy ears, a pale girl in a dark cloak, a half robot man, a orange girl with green eyes,and a boy with colorful cloths and a mask. I tensed ready to counter their attack. Dust fell in front of my face. I looked up and backed up. _The building is collapsing!_  
I blacked out.


	3. Haze

**Hey peps. Heres my next two chapters, sorry the second one is so short. Well i might update early next week so, stay tuned**

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I woke up dazed and confused. _Owww!_ A large metal beam had landed on my right front paw. of course. I lifted the beam off with my muzzle. It had crushed the cuff, and my wrist. I looked around at the damage, it was just getting dark outside. I saw the "titans" scattered on the floor. The colorful boy said wearily " is everyone alright?" "Yah." The other four responded. I waited and listened like any good earthbender to judge my situation. _Ok,so my wrist is broken, i'm in bad condition,_ I winced _and i'm scared somewhere between bedwetting and a near death ex-per-i-ence_. I heard something from behind me. _A weapon charging!_ I got up turned around and growled. _The gun will defuse... NOW!_ I whisked some scrap metal up and deflected the it returned to hit me. I shot back landing between color boy and metal man. _Great move Leaf._ I turned back into my original human form when I hit the broken wall. My armor had taken most of the damage but i was still really weak and my side was hurting more than before. I groaned and got up. The " titans" surrounded me. But right now they weren't the heart of my worries. I felt two figures creeping up behind them. I growled and they tensed, but the dark one seemed to know that i was not growling at them. She turned around as two men stepped out of the dark "Slade." She said with an almost disgusted tone. They all turned around and tensed for the fight. "Oh titans I do not want to fight. Just to take that girl as my apprentice. My good friend Haze showed me this prize." He gestured to the man in an off white cloak and yellow eyes. " Get. Away!" I growled at him. "Ohhh, but I paid good money for you" slade replied. I walked right up to him. I drove my good fist into his chest. The titans gasped. I sent an electrical charge through his 'body'. " I. No. toy." I Hissed enraged as I pulled my fist out of the robot. "Have. Made. Point." Haze faded into the darkness. An evil grin smudged across his face.

I felt my scrap armor fall off my body. I put my hand on my side that had been hurting so much. I looked at it. Blood. Lots and lots of blood. I collapsed.


	4. Titans

**Hey guys, another short chapter. Sorry about any confusion with my book the formatting was not working very well. **

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I faintly remember waking up in a car And hearing voices debating about something. "Shut up!" The dark girl yelled. "She's slightly conscious now she won't be for long, but she can hear you and shes scared to death." The dark girl was right I Was scared. I didnt know where they were taking me or what they would do with me. I was lying in the car blood caked on my side and my broken wrist. I groaned and slipped back into unconsciousness.  
I woke up and opened my eyes slowly. I heard weird beeping noises to my left. I looked over and saw a faint green glow._ Am I in a hospital. Boy, I hope not._ I hated hospitals. No, no a hospital. More like a treatment room. I couldn't feel where I was and I couldn't get up and see where I was. It was night time and the soft glow of the moon was drifting into the dark room. _It's almost calming,well better get some more sleep._


	5. Shadows

I woke again at dawn. My side was hurting much less than before. _Well at least they didn't kill me...yet. _I looked down at my side through my torn up shirt. I had healed drastically and was now a small gash. And my wrist was no longer broken. Five people walked into the room. I recognized them from last night. "Joyous!" The orange girl exclaimed. " Our friend has awakened! I am Starfire and these are Cyborg, Raven, Robin and Beast Boy. "Ok Star, take it down a notch" Robin said. "What's your name" beast boy asked. " Leaf Shadow." I replied "name. is. leaf shadow. Sorry. While. Sense. talked. " _I can't tell these people with my real name. _"No kid your real name" robin insisted. " Not. safe." I replied. He looked at me a bit annoyed. _I wont be taken again. _I thought weakly as a bottled up my emotions of fear, uncertainty and grief. _Is raven an empath?! I hoped not. Even though she probably was. I can't show weakness._ Raven tapped robin on the shoulder and walked out of the room. Robin followed. I shifted my ear to wolf hearing frequency so i could hear what they were saying. The others all turned towards the door. "grief and fear when you asked her real name" raven said in her dull tone. "Rough past maybe, she hid it well. Thanks Raven." Robin muttered. "We don't know what she's capable of so dont do anything rash" Raven warned. They walked back into the room. "I will have to question her alone." Robin said. The others exited the room. "Get better leaf" cyborg called as he left. Raven frowned more than usual. When they all left robin said " why wont you tell is your real name?" I mustered up my courage and replied. "Because. I be hunted." " by who?" He replied. "Haze. you. If know. I. Here. . Me once." I slouched down and let out a small breath of fire to calm down. " killed. everyone in pack. I escape." I replied more quietly. "Everyone." He said under his breath strangely, as if he could relate. "thats enough for today. Get some rest." He walked out of the room. I laid down and rolled over on my side. I knew they were watching me through the security camera in the corner. I turned away from it.


	6. Background

In the security room...

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"Hey Robin What have you found out about leaf shadow?"  
"Not Much i'm afraid cyborg. A little of her past though. She was kidnaped by that haze guy and was going to be sold to slade. And she still won't tell us her name."  
"I searched my database and found a profile that could be hers." The large computer screen in the room pulled up a picture of a short 11 year old girl with brown hair and amber eyes.  
"There is no name or family stated. Her house burnt down, no other survivors and all of her relatives died under mysterious circumstances a month afterwards. She disappeared after she was moved to the orphanage. She's probably 13 by now. Robin,she doesn't have any family"


	7. Running

**Hello peoples! Sorry all of the chapters are so short. well I promise they will get longer!**

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I had fallen asleep. I guess I hadn't thought of how tired I was and how hungry. I woke up to the smell of soup. The delicious tantalizing smell of soup. I sat up to be greeted by starfire and robin. Robin was holding a bowl of soup. He handed it to me " thanks." I murmured as I started to eat the soup. It was the first thing I had eaten in about four days. So I savored it as best I could._ Its going to take a while for me to get used to this._ We sat in an awkward silence as I ate the soup. I did not make eye contact. Until... BEEP BEEP BEEP. An alarm blared. I looked up in alarm. " Robin we must leave." Starfire said urgently. I was very scared. Robin got up and glanced at me " I do not think our friend will be going anywhere in her current condition." Starfire said even more urgently. "Ok, lets go star. Leaf shadow you stay here". _Its not like I have much choice...or do I. _They left. I sat in the room and finished my soup. I set the bowl on the table besides me and laid down. _Their right i'm not going any where. If I reopen my side... Well not good. Well I Have no family or friends left and i'm not going to an orphanage or back to the same school. I'm probably going to be stuck here for at least another two weeks...or will I? _A thought popped into my head. _Gosh I'm so stupid! The titans are out. I can use my waterbending to heal the rest of my side and I can slip out so they won't get hurt trying to protect me. Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Wolf. I never thought id use my powers to escape from nice people. Leaf what are tou saying has two years living in the wild taught you nothing. __Never__ trust anyone._ I slipped out of bed and shifted into full wolf form. I looked back at the security camera and growled a 'do not follow me' warning and whimpered as I turned away. _I saw this place from the city im pretty sure there's a way up to the roof._ I looked around and found a flight of staris. I went up them and sure enough it led to the roof.


	8. Aqua and gone

I shift back into human form as I step out onto the roof. I run to the edge. I looked down and jump off feet first. _No glider I will have to soften my fall._ I form an air bubble beneath my feet effectively slowing my fall. I land softly on the path in front of the door. I run to the other side of the building and scan the shoreline with my advanced wolf vision. I find the road I was chased down earlier. _I have to get my glider back. I must have dropped it when the roof caved in at the warehouse. _

I run to the edge of the small island. _Better get out quick before the Teen Titans come back._ I dive into the water and make an air bubble before I hit the serface. I use my water bending to prepel me forward. I look around as I slid through the water with ease. _Someones watching me..._ I stop and look around franticly. "Trust your gut, leaf." Kimi, the avatar before me, voice sounds in my head. I nod, and continue through the water. _Someone's still watching me!_ "Let them know, you know, their there." Kimi's shy voice says. Slightly confused by Kimi's advice I growl into the water and look through the murky depths. I grab some rock from a nearby shelf and make a dagger with it. The watching sensation goes away. "Thank. Kimi." I say as I make my way to the shore.

I surface about ten feet from shore and check out the shoreline. Extremely rocky with a road just above it. Lucky for me no one is on the road for some reason. I climb onto the shore and use my airbending to dry off. I turn into my wolf form and cross the street and fade into the shadows of the city.

The sun is fading and the shadows grow long. No one was in the city strangely enough. I follow my old sent trail. I hear a police siren coming from ahead. I slink deeper into the shadows to investigate. I come up to the scene. In the darkening night I slink and see a tall strong teen being arrested. "Johnny Rancid will be back!" he yelled as he was pushed into the car. "Unlikely." Robin says. He leans as the car as Rancid is pushed in. "Thanks again Robin." The police officer hollers over his shoulder as he gets into the car. "No problem." Robin replies. He gets onto his motorcycle and puts on his helmet. He speeds away. "Robin. Going. Join. Team." _Gosh I really got to work on learning to talk again. I guess I got so used to using energy signals to communicate._ I start to retrace my steps again...

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"Robin you there."  
"Yah what up Cy?"  
"Leaf Shadows gone."  
" What do you mean gone?!"  
"I mean she's no where in the tower or on the island."  
"Thought she might run... I put a tracking device on her. Sending you coordinates. We have to get her back before someone else gets to her first."


	9. Rubble

I make my way down the street and walk in front of what used to be the old ware house. I change back into my human for and slip throught the rubble.

Using my senses I start to look for my glider. I find it sticking out in between a wooden beam and a metal sheet. _Great two things I can't bend_. I pull my glider trying to dislodge it. _It's not working!_ I put my foot on the metal beam and pull even harder. It slides out and I fall backwards.

I hold the glider in my hands. It's a pretty glider, sleek with runes carved into its western air temple style and bright orange wing fabric. I inspected it to make sure nothing was broken. Good no damage. I hear a car mad motorcycle pull up behind me. I turn around.

"Friend why did you run away?" Starfire asks cautiously. A pain hits my heart. _These people really do care...and I'm going to get them killed. _I let out a whimper. The Teen Titans eyes widened and Starfire gasped. I turned around. Two cicada-robots were melting out of the shadows. "Because. Them." I say weakly. I shift into wolf form droping my glider.

I grow loudly and then bark even louder. Hackles razed I take a running leap towards the cicada-robots. As I sink my teeth into one of them I kick the other one back sending it flying through the air. I shook the one in my mouth violently until it falls to pieces. I whirl around to face the other one. I glance at my glider laying right under the floating thing. I run towards it. Sliding under and grabbing my glider in my teeth. I get behind the cicada and transform back human so quick if you blink you miss it.

The cicada-bot charges. It shoots glowing yellow knives at me. I backflip to avoid the glowing yellow knives that stick in the ground in front of me. Except for one, that hits my calf leaving a large cut. I don't even flinch. _That all you got! You've hit me worse._ I can't see the teen titans but I sense all of there heart rates just increased. _Let's show them what your made of!_ I picked up the knife that had cut me. _Still has my blood on it, oh well._ I throw the knife and it hits the cicada robot square in its "face". It sparked and fell to the ground.

" I think I know what to do." Raven says.

"Be careful Raven." Robin warns. She walks toward me. I tense and she stops. When I relax again she walks forward more. _Ok so she's not gonna hurt me._ She continues walking slowly until she's within arms reach.

She puts her hand on my shoulder and presses. _She wants me to sit down? Ok._ I start to sit down. Hand still on my shoulder Raven guides me down. When I'm kneeling down she takes her hand off of my shoulder. She looks into my eyes, at my leg, and then into my eyes again. _She wants to check my leg_. I take my wonded leg out from under me. Raven puts her hand under my heel and lifts my leg a little.

With her other hand she gently pushes back my ripped jeans. A black aura lightens around her hand. I try to back away frightend. I She looks me in the eyes again, this time with a slight smile. I relax. She puts her glowing hand on my cut. _It doesn't hurt... _I look at my leg as the black aura slowly heals my skin not leaving a single mark. Raven takes her hand off and lowers my leg. She slides back a little bit.

I place my hand on the place where the cut was. Not a scratch. I nood my thanks to Raven. She stands up and takes her place by the Teen Titans. I stand up. Tears cloud my eyes. _I'm gonna get her killed._ I drop my head.

"Come back to the tower with us Leaf." Cyborg coaxes. A tear rolls down my cheek. _I'm sorry I can't. I'll get you all killed._ I look away and shake my head. I open my glider and with one big sweep of air, take off into the night sky.


	10. Meditation

I fly through the night sky. I head for the woods I called home for the past five years.  
~flashback~  
I ran through the blizzard, snow stinging my face. _I have to make it to my shelter_. The shadow that followed in my wake started getting closer. I ran faster. I feel something snag my foot and I fall face first into the snow. _How could a hunting trip go so wrong?!_ I roll over to see him towering over me. "Remember me, avatar." He snarls with a wicked grin on his face. I stumble back through the snow finding a footing on a buried rock. I turn wolf and lunge at him. He fades away as I attack him. I dive into the snow with anger that was supposed to harm that vile man. I turn back human and lie there crying in the snow.  
~end flashback~  
_Ry._ Tears stream down my cheak. _Pull yourself together. Their all gone and there's nothing you can do to change that. I need to meditate. Remember who you are... I am 59% wolf giving me enhanced sences and instincts. When I was little a charm was placed on me by a shawman that separated my two sides and gave me the abitity to shift between my two forms. _

_Cowisadentaly, I'm also the avatar. How did that work out? Avatar, a person who can bend all four elements and can acces the knowlage of avatars before them. I am best at air. And at least I haven't been alone all of these years. I've had Korra and Kimi to mentor me and keep me company. I'm alone, Kimi says in the ability to bend. There haven't been any true benders for a long while. *sigh* almost there_.

I head for a rock outcrop where there are many crevices for me to hide in. I circle above before landing on a rocky outcrop. I sneak into one of the caves making shure I wasn't followed. _Good perfect place to meditate._ I fold up my glider and place it to my side as I sit down and begin to meditate. _Korra, I need Korra_. I reach inside myself. Korra's blue spirit flows out of my body and takes its own form.

"Hi Amber" Korra says in her normal tone.

"Hi Korra, and please don't call me 'Amber'." I say melencollily using energy signals.

"What's the matter?" Korra asks worriedly.

"There and these people and they found me when I went into the city. And they care about me,and they want me to join their pack,and they want to help me and I don't want them to die beacuse of me and-"

korra cuts me off "Am-Leaf they can help you. I know your scared of losing again. I know. I was in a similar situation where I didn't want my friends hurt either. Their comes a time in every avatars life when they have to stop hiding."

"You know my past, Korra. I'm sick of hiding. I don't want anymore people i care about getting hurt. Sometimes, I think it wasn't even worth having friends or family, cause the pain when it's all over is to great."

"Don't say that. You had some really good friends. Do you think Ry or Becca would want you to hide and be miserable like this."

"No, they would want me to fight." I feel a slash of pain and Korra fades away. I paw at the air, trying to get her back somehow. My glider ends up in my hands instead.

"Fight Amber!" Korra's faded voices ecos in the distance. I nod fire in my eyes. I snap out of meditation to find a deep gash on my arm severely bleeding and a glowing yellow knife sticking out of the rock in front of me.

I grab my glider and dart over to the side of the cave. Narrowly douging several more glowing knives that embed themselves in the cave wall. Do as they would want. I growled in my head as I tried to heal the cut. _Not working. Crap._ I iced it over insted providing a temporary bandage. I prepare to face my enemy. _it's time to stop running, it's time to fight!_


	11. Time

**Happy New year!**

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I grab the wall. I takes all of my strength but I manage to break the wall off of the cliff and send it flying with the help of my airbending. It crushes anything that was in front of the cave. I decide not to stick around for too long. I peek out of the crevice. The rock must have scared all of the robots off. I sniffed the air. Metal, along with a slight tint of plastic. They are still nearby. I'm getting out of here! I open my glider and once again took off into the night sky.

_Where to now. My home isn't safe, they don't care if people see._ My glider dipped a bit. _Idioit, get your emotions back under control or else…_ I Take a deep breath and continue flying. The ice on my arm was starting to melt._ Dang, I have to stop and rest for the night. _I scan the horizon, looking for a place least likely to be noticed. _Can't hide in the city, they have control of the security cameras, forest is out. _I look to my right and see an abandoned street corner. _Perfect_. I swoop down and dash into a seemingly abandoned bakery. I flop down on the floor for a second to regain my breath.

_The ice has started to melt on my arm. _I Jump up and run to the sink. I franticly turn the water on. The sink splutters and then water flows out. _Thank the stars._ I plug the sink and let the water fill the sink.

When it's full I turn the water off. I lean over the sink and splash my face with water. I Try and heal my cut again with no prevail. I sink down leaning against the counter.

~ Flash back~

I woke up sweating from the extreme heat, I was eight. I looked around, jumping out of bed. _Fire!_ _My brother! _I ran to my door shieling my face from the flames burning my room's walls. I open my door to be meet with a whoosh of smoke. I run down the hallway, to see my older brother coughing on the floor. "Matthew!" I run to his side. "Matthew! Get up, we have to get out!" I push him to get up. He rolls over limp. His chest had looked like it was crushed. "Amber- get out of here- leave me-. " He gasped his last breath "Haze." I felt arms wrap around me and pull me away from my brother's body. I kicked and fought at the grasp. I gave in yelling and crying the fire fighters had come too late to save the rest of my family.

I sat in the back of the ambulance, a warm blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I saw a glowing yellow figure standing in the ashes of my house. I pointed and yelled to the lady who was looking me over.

"There's nothing there dearie." She said soothingly.

~ end flashback~

That was the first time I saw Haze. That was the first time he killed my pack. That was the first time I vowed revenge. _I have to stop running. I have to stand and fight. _

Blood was dripping down my arm. I stand up draw some water from the sink and ice it over again. The titans come bursting thru the door. I tense up and shift into a fighting stance. I look down into robins hand and see a tracker. _Oh crap. Did he place one on me!? We're all dead._ We stand there staring at echother. My heart was beating rapidly. _Haze can hack any technology, he knows where I am. _I feel around on my back and find as small round tracker. I face palm. The titans look at echother in confusion. I muster up my courage.

"Haze find now." I say as I gesture to myself. _Idioit now we're all gonna die together. _I hear the buzzing that had tormented me all of my life. _There here_. Eyes narrowed I draw water from the sink and bend it around my arms. I jump on the counter and flip over the titans, barely missing the roof. I land softly and crouch on the floor.

"Time. I. Fight! You. Run!" I growl looking back at the Titians. They all look startled by my sudden change in attitude.

"Why?" Starfire says flying forward. "There is no one there."

"Yet." I growl my eyes narrowing more for the impending fight. "Don't. Let you self between two cicadas. Or else bad. You escape now!"

_Very important thing they will need to know. They're getting close. _

"Bad be corner. I. Need fight outside. Now you run!" I was getting frantic now. _They have to get outta here! _I slink outside and prepare to fight._ No more running._ From inside the building I hear the Teen Titans fighting.

* * *

"Raven, we can't trust this girl." I hear Robin from inside the building.

"I don't think we should either. She's scary." Beast boy agrees.

"I ask you, to please trust her. She trusts us." Raven argues.

"I'm still confused, about her attitude." Cyborg wonders.

"Yes someone who changes so quickly must not be trusted." Starfire agrees with cyborg.

"The reason she has to changes mood so quick is because she has to, she has a crazy maniac chasing after her and it's either that or always be on edge." Raven argues in her monotone voice, "And one way we can show her we trust her is by helping her."

"Oh, so that's what you were trying to do when you healed her." Beast Boy figured out.

"Yes exactly." Raven responds.

The Titans run out of the building to find me. I franticly look around trying to judge my situation. _ A slade bot here, a pair of cicadas here. _The enemies are all slinking toward me in the shadows, my shadows. _There is a lot of them. Their all making their ways thru this deserted part of the city to trap me here. No more running I have to stand and fight._


End file.
